Hey, y’all.
Wanna talk about Gunner Stockton and Haynes King and Michael Penix Jr. and Younghoe Koo and Spencer Strider and the Atlanta Dream and that one angry lady from Philadelphia?
Thought you might.
QB CONFIDENCE CUBES
Three quarterbacks. Three big games. And a brand new Win Column Confidence Meter™ to weigh how you, the fan, should feel about it all.
In honor of Matthew “Matty Ice” Ryan’s illustrious career in Atlanta, we’re ranking Georgia Tech’s Haynes King, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton and the Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. on a scale of one to five ice cubes.
The more cubes, the better the vibes as we head into the weekend. Because why not!
Haynes King, Georgia Tech: 🧊🧊🧊🧊
Confidence in a healthy King? Sky high. Confidence that King can stay healthy? A bit less.
The sixth-year senior is practicing this week and figures to suit up after sitting out Tech’s game against Gardner-Webb with a “nagging lower-body issue.” His grit sets the tone for the Jackets — but as columnist Michael Cunningham put it earlier this week, coaches have to do a better job helping him “strike a balance between punishing runs and self-preservation.”
Regardless, beat writer Chad Bishop tells me the Jackets will need to “play near-flawless football” to beat Clemson for the first time in more than a decade.
- “The Yellow Jackets have five turnovers in two games. They also have 20 total penalties. They have gotten away with those miscues in wins at Colorado and at home against Gardner-Webb. Clemson, ranked No. 12, is too good and too talented and too well-coached under veteran Dabo Swinney to let Tech survive such misfortune. The Jackets better bring their ‘A’ game in all facets.”
Watch at noon Saturday on ESPN. And if you’re headed to Bobby Dodd, don’t forget to wear white.
Gunner Stockton, Georgia: 🧊🧊
The Bulldog offense was repeatedly frustrated against lowly Austin Peay. A trip to Knoxville and a clash with 15th-ranked Tennessee is a completely different undertaking.
So the two cubes here are a nod to the early struggles — and an acknowledgment that we simply don’t know a whole lot about this team yet.
- “Concern about the current state of the Georgia offense is not unfounded,” DawgNation’s Connor Riley told me. “While there’s a large segment of the population who won’t be satisfied so long as offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and O-line coach Stacy Searels are involved, Stockton’s inability to stretch the field vertically to this point is something that Kirby Smart isn’t happy with. He hasn’t turned the ball over to this point, but Stockton is perhaps being too risk-averse to start the season.”
On a positive note: The Bulldogs should get right tackle Earnest Greene back against the Vols, and receivers like Colbie Young are showing promise.
Watch at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on ABC.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons: 🧊🧊🧊
He’s made a grand total of four career starts. He’s gonna overthrow some folks. If Week 1’s performance is any indication, the run game may not help him much.
But man, did Penix show a lot of reason for optimism.
Those three cubes aren’t meant to declare him a near-finished product (and a warning à la King may be in order after those goal-line dives against the Bucs). He’s certainly got the juice, though.
- As for Sunday’s opponent, the Minnesota Vikings: Bears quarterback Caleb Williams put up decent enough numbers against the Vikings defense on Monday night (21-for-35 for 210 passing yards, plus 58 rushing yards). But the Minnesota front (led by Javon Hargrave’s two sacks) brought Chicago back to earth in the second half, squelching any offensive optimism by pressuring Williams on nearly 35% of his throws.
Godspeed, Mr. Penix. The whole country will be watching at 8:20 p.m. Sunday on NBC.
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WHAT TO DO ABOUT KOO
All I’ve thought about since Sunday is last week’s newsletter. Specifically the part where I wrote “Younghoe Koo is gonna be just fine.”
I thought about it when I watched Koo botch a kickoff, and when he doinked in a 36-yard field goal. I thought about it when his would-be game-tyer sailed right, and when I passed a gentleman screaming into a megaphone outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
He had a few thoughts about the performance — which, as you can see in the chart above, continued a rather concerning trend.
- From 2019 to 2023, Koo’s field goal percentage (red dots) was far above the league average (black dots).
- Last year? More than 11% below average.
The Falcons plan to bring in plenty of potential Koo replacements for workouts this week. It’s already signed one new kicker, a local product named Parker Romo, to the practice squad. Lenny Krieg, who competed with Koo in camp, remains an option, too.
Head coach Raheem Morris has acknowledged a need to be more decisive — and columnist Ken Sugiura says now’s his chance.
Despite my earlier prediction, I tend to agree.
🤔 But where are you at on the Koo situation?
- A. Give ‘em the hook!
- B. Still my guy.
- C. Frustrated, but not sure the other options are better.
- D. Get the run game and pass rush humming, then we’ll talk kickers.
Send answers to tyler.estep@ajc.com. And quickly, before something changes.
I MUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION
Catcher Sean Murphy is having hip surgery (after being injured for three years?!). Ronald Acuña Jr. is batting in the bottom third of the lineup. Brian Snitker’s future remains up in the air.
Today, though, we’re here to discuss another important Braves matter: Spencer Strider’s facial hair.
Atlanta’s struggling ace debuted a new clean-shaven look this week — and we’re not sure what to think.
One of my colleagues compared it to seeing KISS without makeup for the first time. I immediately thought of Vito Corleone: “Look how they massacred my boy.”
🥸 Then again … if it helps produce more performances like last night’s eight-strikeout effort against the Cubs, I’ll ship him a few Bics myself.
20-SECOND HOT TAKE
A very brief and deeply serious hot take from yours truly. Soak it in, reflect a bit — and then let me know I’m right.
🔥 The windup: You’re probably familiar with this whole thing at a Phillies game last week, where a dad snatched a Harrison Bader home run ball from in front of a woman and gave it to his son … before the woman confronted him, did some screaming and took it for herself.
🔥 The pitch: While no adult human should care that much about a baseball, forming an internet militia and trying to get the woman fired is a bit overboard.
- A more reasonable penalty? Prohibiting Philadelphia fans from attending road games of any kind, in any sport.
No fan base is perfect, of course. Let he without sin cast the first D battery, etc. etc. But it’s probably best for everyone if they just fight among themselves.
IT’S PLAYOFF TIME, BABY
Almost.
The Atlanta Dream wrap up the regular season tonight in Connecticut (7 p.m. on Peachtree TV). From there, they’ll host the first game of a best-of-three playoff series on Sunday.
Here’s who could be coming to College Park:
Scenario 1️⃣: A Dream win tonight + a Las Vegas Aces loss on Thursday = Atlanta is the No. 2 seed and takes on the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever.
Scenario 2️⃣: A Dream loss or an Aces win = Atlanta gets the No. 3 seed and a date with the upstart expansion franchise called the Golden State Valkyries.
Should be fun either way. If you’re just joining the party, you’ve got some reading to do.
- Why Gray should be part of MVP discussions
- Smesko sets record for wins by a rookie coach
- Hillmon makes case for Sixth Woman of the Year
ODDS AND ENDS
💧 One expensive loogie: The NFL fined the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Carter exactly $57,222 for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott last week. That’ll cover a lot of dry cleaning.
🎾 Just announced: The inaugural Atlanta Cup, a pro tennis exhibition featuring big names like Naomi Osaka, Aryna Sabalenka, Nick Kyrgios and Ben Shelton. It’s set for Dec. 6 at Gwinnett County’s Gas South Arena (interesting!) and tickets go on sale Thursday.
⚽ Rumor has it: The U.S. Men’s National Team might host Portugal in Atlanta in March, as a pre-World Cup friendly. A match with Belgium could loom, too.
STANK YOU SMELLY MUCH
Last week, inspired by our city getting its own signature perfume, I asked y’all a question: What is the scent of Atlanta sports?
Reader Deborah hit it right on the nose with lemon pepper. As in wings.
“When they’re good, they’re good,” she wrote. “When they’re bad, they funk up the joint.”
Smells about right to me.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of The Win Column. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
